


I Love You, But You Don't Love Me

by momo0231



Category: Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Because I love bringing my son pain, Drabble, M/M, This is actually onesided Clint/Tony, Unrequited on Clint's part, implied steve/tony - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-05
Updated: 2017-02-05
Packaged: 2018-09-22 04:13:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9583130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/momo0231/pseuds/momo0231
Summary: How do you get over someone who you never had? How do you forget things that never happened?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Summary and the italicized quotes in the fic are from this (http://blossomfully.tumblr.com/post/154862875355/but-what-if-you-never-got-to-kiss-him-what-if-you) post from Sue Zhao who gives me great writing inspiration.
> 
> Mostly for the sads, but I love the sads so it all works out in the end.

_Do you ever stop loving someone who never knew how you felt?_

 

Clint grinned, wrapping an arm around Tony’s shoulders. “Hey shellhead. You seem particularly overworked today.” The Iron Man mask slid back to reveal Tony’s annoyed face but he wasn’t pushing him off which was already a sign of victory.

“Some of us save the world for a living, Clint.” Tony said shortly, but started to dismantle his armor now that he had company and nothing particularly threatening was happening. Clint stepped back, watching for a moment before rolling his eyes.

What a big damn show off.

The archer leaned back against the workbench, faking a yawn until Tony stepped out of the armor. “I was wondering if you wanted to go to lunch? I can never be sure the last time you ate so I like to make sure for myself that you actually are being human and doing human things.” Clint didn’t make it a mystery that he was worried. He didn’t do that with Tony because they had known each other for to long for that.

Turns out, Tony hadn’t eaten yet just like Clint thought. They went to a nearby diner to get some cheap greasy food that Clint loved and Tony could pay for and talked. There was a natural ease in their conversation, a natural flow from one conversation to the next joke.

Clint loved it, Clint loved _Tony_ and he loved doing this. Do it to much and Tony would get suspicious but once every few weeks? That was fine and it got Tony outside of his suit, outside in general.

“Hey, I actually wanted to ask ya something today.” Clint started, putting down his drink to look at Tony before hesitating.

He had Tony’s full attention. He could tell him right now, he could do it and maybe it’d go right and he’d reveal he’d been just as infatuated with him as Clint has been with Tony. They’d laugh about how all these years they had been tip toeing around each other for no good reason.

Clint donned his first Hawkeye outfit because Tony flew by his performance once. He joined the Avengers because Tony gave him his seat and vouched for him. Without Tony, he wouldn’t be where he was today. Every time Clint looked at Tony it felt like a warm fire in his chest because he was a great man, someone he still looked up to but wanted to help when something went wrong. He was his friend, an Avenger sure, but he would do a lot of things to make Tony happy. He _has_ done things to make him happy, to hear him laugh and smile and joke with him.

He could say all of that, and in a perfect world that would all happen. In a perfect world, Clint would already be happy with Tony. Or maybe in a more perfect would he would still be with Bobbi and this stupid crush would have left him by now.

Tony was still looking expectantly at him, waiting for him to talk instead of just staring and thinking.

The fact of the matter was that Tony didn’t need him. Tony had other people, better people that could pick him up better. Clint was there when everyone else was gone which was a good trait to have, but he was never the first person Tony went to. He knew the first person Tony went to, and Clint wasn’t him. He couldn’t even be him when Tony asked him to put on the outfit.

He wasn’t who Tony wanted.

Clint took a deep breath before smiling, just like how Natasha had taught him. “I was wondering if you wanted to spend the day tweaking some arrows? I have some ideas for new designs…”

 

_Do you ever learn to forgive yourself for not telling them?_


End file.
